Mercedes-Benz CL review

Range-topping Mercedes-Benz coupe perfect for empty nester company directors wanting to drive rather than be driven

The CL is a big car - it's over five metres long

You'll search in vain for any cheap materials

Front half of the cabin is all S-class, but that’s no bad thing

Rear seats aren’t huge, but will accommodate two large adults with relative ease

At 490 litres, the CL’s boot is barely smaller than the S-class saloon’s; easily big enough for the odd trip to the golf club

Heating and ventilation is adjustable and efficient as it gets. Set it once and forget it.

Smooth, refined V8 has a great, broad spread of torque

The spread of power from the 4.7-litre biturbo V8 is outstanding

A flex of the right foot is enough to haul the CL convincingly past slower traffic

The CL500’s V8 feels as refined and smooth as any eight-cylinder petrol engine on the market

Active body control means the big CL corners flatter and harder than such a big car has a right to

All the brilliance of the S-class and more besides

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The Mercedes-Benz CL borrows its chassis, engine, most of its structure and the front half of its interior straight from the wonderful S-Class saloon; what is there left to tell?

Well, quite a lot, as it happens. You could question the point of a less practical and more expensive car than the S-class, and we found plenty of people who reckon a Bentley Continental GT or Jaguar XKR are more desirable, but we defy anyone who has spent some time in the CL not to acknowledge that all that goes to making the S-class so fabulous – and a bit more besides – is present in abundance here too.

All that goes to making the S-class so fabulous is present in abundance here too

The range only comprises three models. Above the 4.7-litre biturbo V8 engined CL500 sit two AMG models, the CL63 AMG with a 5.5-litre biturbo V8 and the CL65 AMG which boasts a 6.0-litre biturbo V12. The CL63 AMG delivers 536bhp and makes the CL feel heroic, the CL65 AMG’s 621bhp and 737lb.ft of torque turning the CL into a monstrously rapid car. The AMG duo are the only CLs to have an obvious direct external competitor: matching them on price, function and performance is the Continental GT, with its V8 and W12 models respectively.

At around £93k the ‘entry’ CL500 has some competition in the prestigious coupé market, though its rivals differ it in character and appeal. The Porsche 911, Maserati GranTurismo and BMW M6 are rather more sporting and lack the CL500’s comfort, while the Jaguar XKR and BMW 650i are cheaper.